Garter



March 11, 1947. F. J. VEITCH 2 GARTER- Filed Dec. 8, 1945 INVENTOR Patenteci Mar. 11 1947' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARTER Frederick J. Veitch, Flushing, N. Y. Application December 8, 1945, Serial No. 633,688

3 Claims. I

This invention relates to an improvement in garters, for holding or supporting mens socks in a drawn up position on the calf of the leg.

Prior to the present invention, mens garters have been provided with adjustment means to increase or decrease the size of the garter to suit the circumference of the leg but adjustment means to increase or decrease the vertical length of the garter has never been provided for, although the intervening space between the top of the sock, and the upper part of the calf of the leg varies several inches, due to the different lengths of mens legs and the variable lengths of mens socks, so that prior men's garters having a, non-adjustable vertical length are too short vertically on long legs and frequently too long vertically on short legs.

One of the chief objects of the present invention is to provide a mens garter having a single adjusting means that not on y adjusts the s z of the garter to suit the circumference of the leg, but also provides for adjusting the vertical length of the garter extending to the top of the sock, to suit the variable space between the top of the sock and the circumferential part of the garter just above the calf of the leg.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mens garter comprising a continuous length of garter fabric or its equivalent having all the other elements or parts of the garter attached directly to the said continuous length of garter fabric or its equivalent.

Another object of the invention is to provide a men's garter that has no way of freeing or disengaging itself so as to fall off the leg unknown to the wearer.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a mens garter having fewer parts than the prior mens garters thereby providing labor and cost saving features.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a mens garter equally adaptable for supporting the short or ankle type socks so extensively used, particularly during the summer months.

Another importantobject of the invention is to provide a mens garter having a garter coupling element that snugly fits the leg and does not bulge or extend outwardly from the leg in a manner similar to the plastic elements used on mens garters prior to the present invention, the said garter coupling also providing a three way engaging and supporting means for the continuous garter fabric when a garter is in a sock supporting position on the calf of the leg.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the inven tion consists of the novel combination and ar rangement of parts, hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an assembled garter of the present invention as applied to a leg.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a new type garter coupling element for the said garter.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a garter adjusting element for increasing or decreasing the size of the garter.

Fig. 4 is an outer or face view of one part of a two part sock attaching element adaptable for slipping over part shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the other part of a sock attaching element adaptable for engaging the part shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, the letter A designates a continuous elastic fabric or its equivalent forming a basic part of a garter of the present invention. B is a garter coupling element shown in Fig. 2 and is made of plastic or metal having two sides C and -D joined at one end E. The sideC has an enclosed opening F through the said side lengthwise thereof, the opening F being large enough to allow the elastic fabric A to freely pass through the said opening F.

The other side D of the coupling element B is turned at the end thereof, substantially at a right angle G, towards the opposite side C, leaving a small open space H between the angular end G and the other side C of the coupling element B. To assemble the garter of the invention, the elastic fabric A is drawn several inches through the two adjoining openings I and J in the adjusting element K, shown in Fig. 3. The end of the fabric A is then passed through the opening F in the coupling element B, and then drawn back away from the element B and secured to the adjusting element K thereby forming double fabric portion A between the coupling element B and the adjusting element K.

The opposite unattached end of the elastic fabric A is then passed through the four adjoining openings L, L, M, and N, in the part 0 of a sock attachment element shown in Fig. 4. The said end of the elastic fabric A is then secured to the other well known part P of the sock attachment element shown in Fig. 5 thereby completing the assembly of a garter as shown in Fig. 1. The garter comprising a continuous elastic fabric A, having a garter coupling element B attached at one end of the garter and the parts and P ofa sock attachment element attached at the opposite end of the said garter, the garter adjusting element K being adjustably secured to the elastic fabric A between the coup1ing element B and the sock attachment elements 0 and P. To move the adjusting element K towards the coupling element B will increase the size of the garter, while the movement of the adjusting element K away from the coupling element B willlikewise decrease the size of the garter.

It is preferable, while not shown in the drawing, to have a small metal clip securely attached to both ends of the elastic fabric A, so that the fabric cannot unravel; the metal clips also prevent the ends of the said fabric from pulling through and disengaging from the garter elements K and P. The adjusting element K and the sock attachment elements 0 and P can be made of plastic or metal and are somewhat similar in structure to adjustment elements and sock attachment elements commonly used on mens garters, but the garter coupling element B is of novel design and is believed to have never been used with mens garters prior to the present invention.

The outer or front face of the two part sock attachment element-s O and P face oppositely with respect to the outside or front surface of the garter as shown in Fig. 1, and in contra-distinction to common practice in the manufacture of mens garters of having all, the garter elements facing in the same direction.

In actual use, the garter of the invention is encircled around the upper part of the leg just above the calf, the elastic fabric A is passed through the open space H in the coupling element B, then turned on a bias to a vertical position Q, the said elastic fabric A having support on the side D of the coupling element B. The partsO and P of the sock attachment element secured to the vertical end Q of the elastic fabric A are then drawn downwardly and secured to the top of a sock in a drawn up position on the calf of the leg.

The vertical part Q and the circumferential part R of the garter being continuous portions of the elastic fabric A, it is obvious that the single adjusting element K adjusts both the circumferential and the vertical lengths of the garter to suit the circumference of the leg, and to suit the variable space between the top of the sock and the circumferential part of the garter R just above the calf of the leg.

Should the sock attachment elements 0 and P become disengaged from a sock while in use, the stretched elastic A will shorten and thereby draw the sock attachment elements 0 and P back against the coupling element B, but the sock attachment elements 0 and P being too large for. passing through between the sides C and D of-the said coupling element 13, will leave the garter still tight enough so as not to fall off or get lost from 4 i a wearers leg, despite the disengagement of the sock attachment elements 0 and P from the top of the sock.

I claim: 7

1. A garter comprising a continuous length of garter fabric or its equivalent provided with a coupling element at one end of the garter, and a sock attachment element at the oppositeiend thereof, and having an adjusting element attached to the garter fabric or its equivalent between the coupling element and the sock attach inent element, said coupling element having two sides joined at one end forming substantially a V shaped element leaving a narrowopening there between the ends of said element, whereby said adjusting element provides means for adjusting both the circumferential and verticallengths of said garter to suit the circumference and the length of a leg. 7 i

2. For use with a garter a coupling element and a sock attachment element attached at the opposite ends thereof, the said garter being provided with an adjusting element positioned between the coupling and sock attachment elements to enable the garter to be adjusted to suit the various lengths of socks, the said couplingelement hav ing two sides joined at one end, forming substantially a V shaped element, both sides lyingin the same plane, one of said sides having a lengthwise slot for attaching a garter fabric thereto, the other side of coupling element having a bend at the end thereof, extending inwardly towards the opposite side leaving a narrow opening therebetween, said coupling element being of plastic or equivalent material that will not mark or injure the skin of a wearers leg when said garteris in a sock supporting position.

3. A garter comprising a length of garter fabric or its equivalent having a coupling element and a sock attachment element attached to the opposite ends of said garter, and having an adjusting element attached thereto between the coupling and sock attachment elements, said coupling element havingtwo sides joined at one end forming an angle, the said angle being lessthan 45 degrees, both sides of said element lying in the same plane, whereby when said garter is in a sock supporting position on a wearers leg, said garter fabric or its equivalent slips onsaid couplingelement in a self adjusting movement that equalizes the tension between the horizontal and vertical portions thereof, resulting in a comfortablesnug fitting garter.

' FREDERICK J. VEITCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I Fuechsel 'Aug. 4, 1885 Yetter June 24, 1930 Cash -7 Nov. 12, .1889 i 

